Basking in Sunshine Like a Butterfly on a Flower
Poetry Sunday
--
Like a butterfly alight on a flower
I plant my bare feet on crispy brown
Bermuda grass patches
taste the air of autumn on my tongue.
Feathered leaves of our neighbor’s
mimosa tree are turning from verdant
green to subdued beige,
shrinking into winter form.
The fuzzy pink mimosa flowers
are a favorite nectar of the
swallowtail butterfly.
This summer, I spent sunless
days inside, weaving stories
seeing fewer butterflies,
hummingbirds, flowers, and bees.
There was less gardening.
Today, I bask in 70 degrees and sunshine.
Shadows cascade with a quiet kind of love
according to a newly subtle position of the sun.
I capture warmth with my hair and shoulders,
gaze at Raydon’s Favorite Asters
blue flowers small butterflies flit and flutter on.
Cool mornings are slowly
killing tropical flowers.
Glancing at scantily clad trees
I recall their bare bones
will soon dominate
the backyard landscape.
The minimum of things.
Simple and still.
We’ll breathe in cold air
let our eyes rest
until again they long for
spring’s bright colors and saturation.
